Manufacturing Champions Awards 2018

13th December 2018

UK manufacturing isn’t getting the recognition it deserves. This was the opening theme that Chris Beck, editor of Manufacturing Management Magazine, played on as he stepped up to host The Manufacturing Champions Awards at the Midland Hotel in Manchester on December 6th.

UK manufacturing isn’t getting the recognition it deserves. This was the opening theme that Chris Beck, editor of Manufacturing Management Magazine, played on as he stepped up to host The Manufacturing Champions Awards at the Midland Hotel in Manchester on December 6th.

Chris revealed that when people were asked to rank Britain’s influence in the world of manufacturing, our nation came out in 56th place. In reality, this is the position occupied by Kazakhstan; Britain sits way, way above in 9th place.

It’s clear that the modern impressions of UK manufacturing are in stark contrast to the sector’s actual successes. That’s why ceremonies that celebrate and promote this country’s great achievements are so important.

The Manufacturing Champions Awards is one such occasion, and The Manufacturing Institute were proud to join a host of industry leaders as the event’s headline sponsor.

Here’s how the day unfolded…

Celebrating UK manufacturing

The UK hasn’t slipped below 11th place in the manufacturing economy rankings since 2008. Yet, despite the strength and influence of the sector as a whole, the public’s perception of British manufacturing is completely out of step with reality.

David Atkinson, Director of Manufacturing at Lloyds Bank, further explored the sector’s success in his keynote speech – confirming that manufacturing actually accounts for an impressive 25% of the entire UK economy today.

As many as 7.5 million contemporary British jobs have been created by manufacturing – exemplifying the significance and status of the industry overall.

Now in its fifth year, The Manufacturing Champions Awards aims to give these accomplishments the exposure they deserve by shining a spotlight on the most instrumental industry figures.

The ceremony judges admitted that 2018 has been the most competitive yet, scoring nominees were across several criteria, including performance, flair/innovation, leadership and added, with nine trophies up for grabs.

Your Manufacturing Champions

Here is a list of the winners in full – your official Manufacturing Champions for 2018:

Congratulations to all the nominees and victors. It was an honour for us to sponsor the occasion, and we’d like to say a big thank you to everyone who helped to put on such a terrific event.

2019 is going to be a pivotal year for the manufacturing sector. The awards demonstrated what a strong position the UK is in as we look to the next 12 months, and we can’t wait to see how the winners will continue to reaffirm the UK’s reputation as a manufacturing powerhouse.

The Manufacturing Institute are actively involved in the Shingo prize for excellence - an award widely considered to be the Nobel Prize of manufacturing. With our help, organisations can grow and develop to the point where they meet, and even surpass, Shingo prize criteria standards.